Techniques for the display of information and advertising are, of course, ancient. Combinations of various lighting means and signs are practically as old as the art of artificial illumination itself. The present invention deals with a compact, attention attracting, and adjustable means of combining the sign attention making and illumination arts.
It comprises, in part, a transparent or translucent panel having a lower end portion disposed within a lighted inner chamber of a base structure. The inner chamber also houses a variable duty cycle oscillator, provided with an exteriorly disposed ratio control device or knob to control the blinking cycle of the light source within a range extending between completely "on" and "off" positions.
A back side of the panel is provided with an opaque coating or covering, or alternatively may be frosted, while a front side of the panel is adapted to receive a message, advertising, etc., applied by permanent materials such as paint, or removable materials such as crayons, for example. A frame is preferably secured about the exposed side and top edges of the panel to prevent a light loss therethrough, and a removable bottom panel is provided on the base structure to provide access to the inner chamber light source, which is preferably in the form of a fluorescent light tube.
Therefore, one of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide an edge lighted sign including a clear transparent panel having an opaque back side and a transparent or translucent front side which is adapted to receive a message, advertising etc. applied thereto by means of either permanent or removable materials such as paint or crayons, for example, or for displaying photographic transparencies.
Another object of the invention is to provide a base structure for the panel, providing an enclosed inner chamber for a suitable light source, such as a fluorescent light tube, and a longitudinally slotted top side to slidably receive a bottom edge portion of the transparent or translucent panel into a relatively closely adjacent relationship to the light source.
A further object of the invention is to provide a variable duty cycle oscillator, within the chamber, having an exteriorly extending ratio control device or knob.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a frame about the outwardly exposed side and top edges of the panel, and a removable bottom panel for the housing, to provide access to the light source and cycle oscillator.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art.